Vegan Protein 101

September 14, 2018

This is without a doubt the most asked question any vegan hears. But where do you get your protein? It is also one of the most frustrating, because somewhere along the line we were taught that protein only comes from meat and dairy. With a lot of money and advertising the meat and dairy industry have concreted the thoughts that the best and only source for protein is that, meat and dairy. That is so far from the truth. So my answer in short is, the same places you do, just without the meat and dairy.

Many people don’t know that you don’t actually need that much protein in your diet and that it can be found in so many different ingredients. No one needs to be eating a protein packed plate at every meal, your body just doesn’t need that. In fact the animals that you are eating to get your protein, most likely get their protein from plants! You heard that right, all these animals people want to be as strong as, eat largely a herbivorous diet. Elephants, hippos and rhinos are all herbivores!

It can be a hard thing to wrap your head around, that vegetables have enough protein for you. It’s so contradictory to what you heard growing up. Make sure to eat your chicken or beef because that’s how you get big and strong. What if I told you us vegans get big and strong from kale and broccoli and tofu and legumes?

While many meat sources have more protein in them per serving, many people do not realize that they are actually eating too much protein. So while you may get less protein than when you eat meat, you can still get all the protein you need in a normal amount of plant-based food.

Keep in mind the recommended daily intake of protein for an adult is 56 grams per day for the average man and 46 grams per day for the average woman.

Edamame > 18g per 1 cup

Tempeh > 16g per 3oz

Lentils > 9g per ½ cup cooked

Black Beans > 7.6g per ½ cup cooked

Peanut Butter > 7g per 2 tbsp

Wild Rice > 6.5g per 1 cup cooked

Chickpeas > 6g per ½ cup cooked

Broccoli > 2g per ½ cup cooked

Hemp Seeds > 31.56g per 100g

Now imagine your whole plate is filled with these amazing foods, you will never be short of protein. You can get protein in so many different foods this is never a worry for any vegan. While this is a good representation of protein intake, it is important to always do regular blood tests to ensure you are getting what you need.

Take a look at our protein packed ceasar salad dressing in the video below.